What happened
At least eight militants were killed on Saturday 30 May 2026, the second day of an ongoing security operation in Darra Adamkhel, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that borders Kohat and Peshawar districts, security sources said. The deaths took the total reported toll in the operation to 13, after five militants were killed when it began on Friday.
According to Dawn, the dead included two Afghan nationals belonging to the banned Tariq Gidar group, which security officials describe as an affiliate of the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Security sources named some of those killed as Daud from Zorh Kalay, Hamza, Qari Zeenatullah and Qari Lawangin, adding that Zeenatullah and Lawangin were Afghan nationals while the identities of the others were still being established.
The News reported that two security personnel were martyred and five others injured on the first day of the operation, in the mountainous Tor Chappar area of Darra Adamkhel, when militants opened fire on troops carrying out a search operation. Five militants were killed in that exchange and several others were wounded, it said. Pakistan Today put the first-day toll at five militants and reported that eight more were killed on Saturday.
Why it matters
The operation was launched on intelligence reports about the presence of a group of militants in the area. Security forces cordoned off the locality and were carrying out search and clearance work, with sources saying the offensive would continue until the last militant was eliminated.
Darra Adamkhel, south of the provincial capital Peshawar, has witnessed repeated attacks on security forces and convoys as well as previous military operations. The reported involvement of Afghan nationals belonging to the Tariq Gidar group adds to longstanding Pakistani concerns about the use of Afghan territory by militant groups, an issue Islamabad has repeatedly raised with the Afghan authorities.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published reporting, not independent reporting. Casualty figures and identities are as carried by the cited outlets. Sources reviewed on 2026-05-30.
- Dawn — "8 militants killed on second day of security operation in KP's Darra Adamkhel: security sources"30 May 2026 · Reports the second-day deaths, the two-day total of 13 and the Tariq Gidar affiliation.
- The News — "Darra Adamkhel operation: Two security personnel martyred, five militants killed"30 May 2026 · Reports the first-day clash in the Tor Chappar area and the casualties among security personnel.
- Pakistan Today — "Eight militants killed on second day of operation in Darra Adamkhel"30 May 2026 · Corroborates the second-day toll, names of the dead and the cordon.
